


Sounds and Pixels

by foreverharriet



Series: Butterflies [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Alternate Universe - Parents, F/F, etsy mention, vague references to Frozen, youtube mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 18:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7184669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverharriet/pseuds/foreverharriet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The funny thing about the phrase ‘play-date’ is that whilst the ‘play’ part features prominently, the troublesome word ‘date’ is lingering in the background.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sounds and Pixels

It’s just a movie. Video and audio. Sounds and pixels. A little less than two hours of princesses and snowmen and songs that Thalia will demand to play on repeat for the next thirty eight years. 

But of course it’s not just a film, it’s a play-date with Rachel and Sally. A play-date. Clearly, it’s a play-date, because Thalia and Sally will be there, so there will be lots playing and a walk in the park, and lunch somewhere with little plastic lumps that somehow pass for toys. 

But the funny thing about the phrase ‘play-date’ is that whilst the ‘play’ part features prominently, the troublesome word ‘date’ is lingering in the background. ‘Date’ can mean a lot of things. A lot of innocent things. But it can also mean a lot of non-innocent things. Obviously not too non-innocent, they’re taking the kids to watch a Disney movie, but there was something in the way Rachel had hugged her after their last business meeting at the Met that made Annabeth seriously consider the possibility of some butterfly-inducing hand-holding after the lights had dimmed.

And that’s why, five minutes before they were due to meet Rachel and Sally, she was in the disabled loo/baby change facility of a conveniently located fast food restaurant, reapplying her lipstick. It was pinkish – that was acceptable, surely. A step up from balm, a step down from gloss. Annabeth smoothed down her shirt – her best plaid, without even the smallest sick stain – and double checked the soles of her boots for scraps of loo roll. 

“I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I?” She asked Thalia, who gazed back at her in way entirely too calculating for a one year old. Yes, those stormy eyes seemed to say. Yes, you’re being ridiculous, and if you’re not careful you’ll sweat through your shirt, and you’re most definitely going to be late! 

“Damn,” Annabeth muttered. “You’re right Thalia.” Navigating her way out of the cramped toilet – really, who had designed it? It made so much more sense to put the toilet there and the sink right there and fit the baby change table in that corner – and hurried through the restaurant and down the road to the cinema.

Rachel was already there, and – comfortably and slightly terrifyingly – she was also wearing lipstick. It was a more vivid colour than her own, and clashed wonderfully with her bright hair. She looked rather wonderful all over, truth be told, with her orange T-Shirt and the jeans with the floral doodles and a wide smile that spread across her face when she saw Annabeth approaching from up the street. 

“Hi Annie!” Sally yelled, running to greet her with a fleeting hug before dropping to her knees to say hi to Thalia, who instantly became fascinated with Sally’s stripy tights. Rachel joined them, brushing a wayward curl behind her ear with an exasperated smile that became slightly nervous when she turned to Annabeth. 

“Hi... Annie... How are you? It’s so good to see you,” she said and, after a moment of shy hesitation, leaned in to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek. Her fingers were drumming absentmindedly against her thighs. Annabeth returned the greeting – and the kiss! – in what was hopefully a casual way, whilst trying to figure out if it was the kiss or the nickname that made her heart beat faster. 

“Are you looking forward to this?” She called to Sally, who was pirouetting the way to the cinema, braids flying. She paused mid-twirl to give a thumbs up. Rachel laughed. 

“She’s been chattering non-stop about it for days. My YouTube history is nothing but the trailer and cast interviews. I swear she only slept for a few hours last night – I’m worried she’ll have a crash half way through!”

“Maybe that’s a good thing – those songs won’t get stuck in her head if she’s sleeping!” 

“True! We’re just going to have to be sly when buying the candy, otherwise she’ll snaffle half of it and be up until two tonight!” 

Annabeth patted Thalia’s diaper bag. “Got the sweets covered. We should buy drinks inside though, so we don’t look too odd.” 

“Sneaky! I like it,” laughed Rachel, clapping her hands. “Oh – let me get that for you,” she added, jogging ahead to hold the door open. Annabeth navigated the pram through gratefully. “That’s a lovely pram, by the way. Where did you get it?” 

“I designed it myself,” Annabeth admitted. The first one I bought had such a horrendous turning circle, and the handles were so awkwardly shaped! So I drew some basic designs, sourced some materials, and made myself a prototype. I’m actually selling them on Etsy now.” 

“That’s so cool,” Rachel breathed. 

Annabeth flushed. “Well... well, it made my life easier so I thought other people might benefit.” In truth, it also had something to do with the sinking realisation she had felt when a serious look at her finances in the weeks after Thalia’s birth had alerted her to her rapidly shrinking savings, but that was a conversation best saved for later – when she could finally use the ‘girl’ prefix when introducing her ‘friend’ Rachel, perhaps. She mentally told herself to take a chill pill. It was still early days.

Rachel was running her hand over the fabric, which was patterned with leaves and faces. “Comic masks... and are these ivy leaves? Have you – oh you did! These are the symbols of the muse Thalia! Annabeth, that’s amazing! Is the pattern standard?” 

“Optional,” she replied, cheeks still as pink as her lipstick. “There are nine choices, all inspired by a muse because – well. She is my muse.” Thalia glanced up from Sally, who was acting out Hercules with her fingers, as though she knew her name hung in the air. 

“I understand... And wish you had been in business when Sally was small! This design is gorgeous!”

“Thank you so much,” Annabeth smiled, and when Rachel responded with a wide, butterfly-inducing grin of her own, she found herself determined to take advantage of their distracted children and reach out for Rachel’s hand once the lights dimmed.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I've tried to write in American English but as a British person I don't know how successful I've been. 
> 
> 2\. The film referenced to is, of course, Frozen.
> 
> 3\. Due to the business of RL, I can't promise a regular schedule for this series. I'm planning on it being a series of snapshots with no set number of chapters.


End file.
